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Manchester United's poor run of form persisted at Leeds' fortress, but head coach Ruben Amorim had Matheus Cunha to thank for the team not suffering even more disappointment against Leeds.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed a first-period effort against the woodwork for the confident hosts before the American midfielder applied a cool finish with a driven, 62nd-minute effort.

With the goal, the United boss was in the firing line after his side had failed to beat struggling Wolves at Old Trafford earlier in the week.

Nevertheless, against opponents who had two days less to recover, Cunha restored parity three minutes later when he ran on to a pass from introduced Joshua Zirkzee and guided a shot underneath rushing home goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

It was only the Brazilian's fourth goal since his big-money summer move and came at a time when Amorim is without four key attacking players due to a combination of injury and international duty.

Not that the hosts to sympathise with that given their own tight schedule.

Noah Okafor forced a diving save out of visiting goalkeeper Senne Lammens with a audacious overhead kick, and United heads were in hands when the Slovenian striker, who is finding it hard to make an impact, turned Zirkzee's cut-back wide from six yards out.

Cunha, who had a goal disallowed for offside much earlier in the contest, also blasted against a post late on.

The draw extends the home side's unbeaten run to seven matches, their longest such streak since 2001, and takes them eight points clear of the drop zone.

For the visitors though, it was yet another chance to move into the Champions League places, albeit only for a matter of hours, squandered.

Man Utd Analysis: The Manager's Side Struggle Again

With the Africa Cup of Nations reaching its latter stages, Amorim could be understood for hoping the involved countries make a swift exit.

Existing injuries to captain Bruno Fernandes and Three Lions star Mason Mount only exacerbated the impact the unavailability of other forwards is having on the team's options.

It's not that the absent players are the solution to all of United's problems. After all, they were part of the side that experienced disappointing results earlier in the season.

But without them, the boss has few alternatives in attack.

He clearly does not trust youngster Shea Lacey or the much more experienced Zirkzee, even though the Netherlands forward provided the through ball for Cunha's equaliser almost immediately after his introduction as a replacement.

That leaves Cunha, who has now scored a small tally in five games, and others playing out of their preferred positions, alongside Sesko.

On this showing, the big-money frontman looks no better than previous struggling signings, lacking in confidence and conviction in front of goal.

Sesko's failure to turn home the cross means it is now a long run without a goal for the new signing.

Leeds United Breakdown: A Further Step Towards Survival

After thrilling victories in their previous home games, the arrival of their fiercest rivals to home was a bit drab affair.

True, there were instances of typical fervor, but the hostile edge was not as pronounced as in previous encounters.

Leeds' fans were more preoccupied about their side's inability to get worthwhile possession in dangerous areas for any prolonged period.

The Calvert-Lewin header that clipped the post was an isolated moment of quality in a congested first half.

It still felt as though the hosts were finding it tough when a defensive error opened the door for the opener.

Ever so briefly, Leeds' delirious fans thought they were about to secure a rare win against Manchester United.

Nevertheless, there is a wider context for Daniel Farke and Leeds to deal with.

When they endured a difficult run of form earlier in the campaign, many thought about the manager's position.

In contrast, he is now overseeing significant improvement.

The job is not done yet but gradually, the team are getting closer to achieving their top-flight status.

Looking Ahead

Leeds have a Premier League trip to St James' Park in midweek, followed by the start of their domestic cup campaign next weekend. The Red Devils face a league trip to Burnley before also entering their cup journey with a home tie.